Never Again
by juicy-plum
Summary: This takes place in Harry's seventh year. The year is filled with love, excitement, new privilages, and... Voldemort? He had been presumed dead... Now Harry must fight yet again for his life and his love.


DISCLAIMER: I'd like to own Harry Potter, but I don't. J.K. Rowling does.  
  
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"Oww. Pain has been inflicted upon my foot."  
  
"Shhh! You'll wake him!"  
  
"Oh, who cares? He probably never sleeps anyway. Who would, living with these poor excuses for humans?"  
  
Harry Potter grinned in the darkness of his room at four Privet Drive. It was the early morning of July twelfth, his birthday. His seventeenth birthday, to be exact. The voices belonged to three of his schoolmates. The first was Ginny Weasley, his pretty girlfriend, the second was Ron Weasley, his red-haired best friend, and the third was Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend.  
  
"Good morning everyone. What's up?" he said, sitting up and switching on his bedside lamp. The scene before his eyes nearly sent him into hysterics.  
  
Ginny was hanging upside-down from his bedroom window; her legs were both caught. Ron had gotten his robes stuck on a hinge and was struggling to get free. Hermione had used the door and was standing there, holding some packages and shaking her head.  
  
"I told you to come in the normal way, but no," she said, sighing. "You thought it would wake them up. Guys, come on."  
  
Harry laughed. "It's okay," he told her, getting up and freeing Ron and Ginny, who came crashing to the floor. "I needed a good laugh."  
  
Ron stood up and grinned his lopsided grin, hair askew. "Happy birthday Harry," he said, handing Harry a parcel, which he took from Hermione. "I hope it didn't get damaged." he put out a hand to Ginny, who took it and he helped her up.  
  
She brushed herself off and smiled at Harry. She too took a package from Hermione. "It's good to see you again," she said, giving him the package, still smiling. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Harry blushed.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's good that you're alive and well. These Muggles haven't gotten to you yet?" he sat down at Harry's desk.  
  
Harry shook his head and put on his glasses. "Nah. Not yet anyway. It was awfully nice of you all to come here. How did you get here?"  
  
"The Knight Bus," answered Hermione. "Really handy, that bus is."  
  
Harry nodded, remembering his own experience on the bus line for witches and wizards. He sat on his bed and reached for Ron's parcel.  
  
"Mind if I open it now?" he asked, glancing up at him.  
  
Ron shook his head. "Go ahead. After all," he consulted his watch, "it is your birthday."  
  
Upon opening the parcel, Harry found a special broomstick carrying case with the Gryffindor logo on it.  
  
"Thanks a lot Ron. This is really great," he said, grinning at his friend. Ron's ears went pink.  
  
He reached for Hermione's gift. She had given him a book entitled 1001+ Dreary Predictions. She knew Harry hated Divination, one of his classes at Hogwarts, especially making prediction charts each month.  
  
"Wow, Hermione. I owe you big time," Harry told her. She beamed.  
  
Ginny's was last. Harry opened it, wondering what she had given him. What he saw when the package was opened made him gasp.  
  
The gift was a simple piece of paper that looked a lot like a ticket. But this was no ordinary paper, oh no.  
  
"A time card," he said softly, turning it over and examining it. "This is amazing. Thank you Ginny." A time card allowed the owner to insert the card into a designated slot and be with any number of deceased people they wished for up to four hours. "I- I'll use it well."  
  
A sudden noise from Vernon and Petunia's (Harry's aunt and uncle) room made them all jump.  
  
"C'mon Ron, let's go see what that was," said Hermione, slipping quietly out of the room. Ron followed suit.  
  
"I know you'll use it well," Ginny said quietly, looking up at him. "You deserve it Harry. After everything you've been through."  
  
Harry smiled. "I love you Ginny," he told her.  
  
Should I do it now? He wondered.  
  
No, he told himself, wait a bit longer.  
  
Ginny hugged him, and before they broke apart Harry gave her a kiss.  
  
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A/N: Yes, that was corny, but the story will progress nicely, I promise. I think. 


End file.
